Answer:

Two six-month tours on the International Space Station, in 2002 and 2007-2008

A walking laboratory for the long-term effects of zero gravity, Peggy explained how one’s ability to think in 3D and intuit how to move objects in a different way than on earth is highly important. She said “The second time I went to the station, it felt like coming home. I adapted and got comfortable much quicker.” "It's a nice plus that without the effects of gravity, everything is lifted while you're up there, so you look younger" added Peggy. She gamed twice, being confined in space without gravity for six months, both the times. The second time as the first woman commander, she racked up 377 days in space on her two missions, more than any other U.S. astronaut.

“Fitness is a lot more important than strength. With no gravity for resistance, muscles and bones deteriorate quickly up there, so every day we do an hour of cardio on a specially designed cycle or treadmill and an hour of resistance training. You need strength for space walks, as every motion works against the pressure of the space suits we wear, and it's very fatiguing. Exercising always made me feel more positive and upbeat afterward too.” said Peggy Whitson.

Mesmerised by the view of earth’s curvature on their orbit every 90 minutes she went on describing how one could see the layers of atmosphere, extended beyond the surface, met the blackness of space far across.

When Peggy returned her agility and quick motions, like dribbling basketball, were severely hindered. But with the help of a physical assessment for a month she was back to her pre-flight norm. She explained “exploration is a very important part of who we are, and if we want to literally expand our horizons, we have to keep doing it. Construction of the International Space Station shows we can expand those horizons culturally as well.”

Page No 108:

Question C.3(2):

Name

Age

Year of becoming an astronaut

No. of space Journeys

Experience with zero gravity

Ways of staying fit

Memorable moments

What one has learnt from the travels

Pamela Melroy

Answer:

Name

Age

Year of becoming an astronaut

No. of space Journeys

Experience with zero gravity

Ways of staying fit

Memorable moments

What one has learnt from travels

47

1995

Three shuttle missions, in 2000, 2002, and 2007

The retired Air Force test pilot Pamela recalled the physical sensation of zero gravity, the magic, and how occasionally she dreams about it. “It happens a lot within the first week or two of landing, and it can be profoundly disorienting, especially when you wake up and you're not sure where you are, in gravity or not. It is fun to go back and visit, though” she went on describing.

During deployment of a solar wing at the station a guide wire snapped tearing the wing and keeping it from providing full power. Melroy remembered how all were gathered to go over the final list of issues. “The whole crew was giving their input, and everyone was firing on all cylinders. I realized I didn't need to say anything. I kind of floated away and observed them. They were doing what they were supposed to do, pulling together, without needing to be guided in any way. That was the best moment for me."

Pamela Melroy

Page No 108:

Question C.3(3):

Name

Age

Year of becoming an astronaut

No. of space Journeys

Experience with zero gravity

Ways of staying fit

Memorable moments

What one has learnt from the travels

Sunita Williams

Answer:

Name

Age

Year of becoming an astronaut

No. of space Journeys

Experience with zero gravity

Ways of staying fit

Memorable moments

What one has learnt from travels

Sunita Williams

43

1998

Six months on the space station in 2006-2007, including more than 29 hours of space walks

“I learned after about a week how to fly gracefully without going too fast or jerking around. I had a hard time remembering how to walk. I prefer flying!" shared Sunita. She also said that long hair could be troublesome in space. It sticks to everything and so she decided to cut it as she was preparing to dock.

Williams, a naval aviator and test pilot with her 195 days in space explained how “the treadmill harness is a little uncomfortable and takes some getting used to. I really like running outside and having the wind blow on you, even if it’s hot and humid like in Houston. But I got into a routine. If you're healthy, your body can adapt to anything.”

Sunita Williams broke Shannon Lucid’s previous endurance record-until Peggy Whitson broke both the women's records in 2008. She also “ran” the Boston Marathon from the station treadmill, with an unofficial time of 4 hours and 24 minutes (during which the International Space Station orbited the earth about three times). On viewing home from up there she remarked “when you have that perspective of being far away and looking back at the planet, you don't see the hustle and bustle or the borders. You see a very peaceful place. Gandhi tried to instill the feeling of oneness in all of us. Seeing our planet from space, you understand that.”

Sunita shared how unusual it is to stay in space for six months on the first flight and how it feels on being locked in a can with couple of guys. But she embraced the idea. “I prepared for almost eight years! All the training was definitely beneficial for living up there. And with my Navy background, I'd gone on deployments before, so I wasn’t worried about leaving home for six months. The cosmonauts were very professional, and we all had mutual respect and understanding.”

Page No 108:

Question C.3(4):

Name

Age

Year of becoming an astronaut

No. of space Journeys

Experience with zero gravity

Ways of staying fit

Memorable moments

What one has learnt from the travels

Barbara Morgan

Answer:

Name

Age

Year of becoming an astronaut

No. of space Journeys

Experience with zero gravity

Ways of staying fit

Memorable moments

What one has learnt from travels

Barbara Morgan

56

1985

One shuttle mission in 2007

After waiting for a long time of 21 years for her shuttle mission, Barbara Morgan shared her experiences: “No matter how I was situated the first day, my body felt like it was upside down. That might've been because all your fluids shift up to your head. And what memory do we have of being in that situation? It's like when we’re kids, hanging upside down.” She recalled how well she had slept the first night, “I was amazed on orbit because the minute I strapped myself in, I fell asleep right away.”

On health concerns she said, "I found that for the first couple of days, I was staying hydrated and I wasn't very hungry. My gastrointestinal system seems to rely on gravity to a certain extent, and it sort of shut down. But the body adjusts” with time.

Although a worrisome puncture in the heat shield diverted some of the crew's attention for a while, she remembered moments she cherishes: “Food gave us teachable moments to show Newton's laws and properties of liquids. It was fun. My favourite thing to eat was beef Stroganoff. The Russians shared some of their beef and lamb dishes, caviar, and cheeses, and that was very nice.”

The toilet in the shuttle looks similar to what we have on earth said Morgan. She went on explaining “but there are bars you put over your thighs to hold yourself down, and it uses fans that pull body waste away. There's a hose with a personal funnel attachment for male or female anatomy. The trick is to keep it tightly sealed so that things don't get away and float around. When we get asked ‘How do you go to the bathroom?’ the answer is ‘Very carefully.’”

Page No 108:

Question C.4(1):

Peggy Whitson has been described as a ‘walking laboratory’ because ________________

Answer:

She racked up 377 days in space on her two missions, more than any other U.S. astronaut. Her space walks totalled nearly 40 hours, more than any other woman astronaut.

Page No 108:

Question C.4(2):

Peggy feels that returning to earth is not a pleasant experience as ________________

Answer:

Her agility and quick motions, like playing basketball and the timing to dribble and do a layup, were severely hindered. But she had her physical fitness assessment about a month after her return, and she was back to pre-flight norm.

Page No 108:

Question C.4(3):

Pam Melroy and her crew members were applauded when ________________

Answer:

During deployment of a solar wing a guide wire snapped, tearing the wing and keeping it from providing full power. The fellow astronaut Scott Parazynski, MD, rode a boom for an hour and a half to reach the damaged area. He then performed a kind of delicate surgery for seven hours to cut the snagged wire and fix the torn parts. Finally it worked.

Page No 108:

Question C.4(4):

The historic moment during Pam Melroy’s space flight was ________________

Answer:

That two women were commanding two spacecrafts at the same time. She remarked that so wouldn’t have been possible 25 years ago. But Peggy and she just try to have fun with it. And she said, “The most important part for us is that we're good friends and we really enjoyed working together.”

Page No 108:

Question C.4(5):

According to Melroy the space station is important because ________________

Answer:

According to Melroy the space station is important because the long-term payoff is the science of understanding how the human body operates in space and other developments that we may not understand or value till later.

Page No 108:

Question C.4(6):

‘Being a rookie’ means ________________

Answer:

Staying in space for six months on a first flight. It’s a little shift that one is locked in a can with a couple of guys; also learning how to fly gracefully without going too fast or jerking around.

Page No 108:

Question C.4(7):

Sunita Williams donated her hair because________________

Answer:

First of all, long hair can be troublesome in space; they stick to everything. Besides, one wouldn’t want them to be floating around the space station. Also she had some friends who had had cancer and had to go through chemo. She said, “I know how traumatic that is, so I thought the least I could do was donate my hair.”

Page No 108:

Question C.4(8):

Sunita Williams broke the record of ________________

Answer:

Shannon Lucid’s endurance until Peggy Whitson broke both the women’s records in 2008.

Page No 108:

Question C.4(9):

Barbara had to wait for her turn to go into space because________________

Answer:

Originally she was chosen as a backup for the NASA Teacher in Space Program in the 1980s. However, after her training with Christa McAuliffe and the tragic Challenger accident in 1986, Morgan returned to teaching elementary school in Idaho but remained hopeful that, as NASA’s Teacher in Space Designee, she’d get to fulfill McAuliffe’s mission someday. Finally, in August of 2007, she blasted off in the shuttle Endeavour for a 13-day mission, even operating the space station’s robotic arms during space walks.

Page No 108:

Question C.4(10):

Morgan’s work on the space shuttle was to________________

Answer:

Operate the space station’s robotic arms during space walks. Although a worrisome puncture in the heat shield diverted some of the crew's attention for a while; Morgan was able to teach lessons via on-board video about life in space.